The day we had been waiting for over the last few months had finally arrived; PupAid 2015!! An event held in the gorgeous setting of Primrose Hill in London. The day was guaranteed to be filled with dogs (my kind of place!) as well as charities, exhibitors and even a dog show! The perfect way to spend a Saturday, I’m sure you’ll agree! You may be feeling a little disappointed to have missed out if you weren’t able to attend (follow me on Twitter and you’ll be sure not to miss out on any future events we will be attending!) OR if you were lucky to go, you may be feeling a bit nostalgic and sad it is over for another year (I’m one of them!) But fear not!! Come and read all about it here, take a stroll around with us and see just some of what we saw at this brilliant event!!
WHAT IS IT ALL ABOUT??
Before we enjoy all the fun parts associated with the fabulous PupAid event, I feel it is important to know why we and so many others attended. The event was created by TV Vet, Marc Abraham (who I was truly honoured to meet) and who has seen firsthand the devastating consequences of puppy farming. For those who don’t know, puppy farming is “the mass commercial production of puppies purely for profit and without a thought for the welfare or happiness of the pup, breeding bitch or stud dog.”
I’m not going to speak at length today about this horrific practice as I want to tell you specifically about the event, but I hope to focus on the realities of puppy farming in the next few weeks. In the meantime I would please urge you to visit the PupAid website listed at the end of this blog to make yourself aware (and please share it with your friends too!) The more light we can shine on these terrible practices, the more we can ensure dogs of the future are protected (as well as you, if you’re considering purchasing a dog). If so, you should follow the rule of ‘Where’s Mum’ which is one of the main campaigns of PupAid and means you should always see a puppy with their mother. Another of the PupAid campaigns though is ‘Adopt don’t Shop’ so don’t forget, there are already so many dogs waiting for their homes at the various shelters in the UK such as The Mayhew Animal Home, Dogs Trust, All Dogs Matter and Blue Cross, to name but a few and as shown in my previous blogs.
THE BIG DAY!!!
So Ted and I set off for the journey to London; my mum and her miniature dachshund, Millie, also came along as they didn’t want to miss out on the fun! We were greeted by a sea of beautiful dogs and their owners; many exhibitors and two large arenas for the dog show, displays and speeches. We couldn’t wait to get in and explore! So with both dogs straining at the leash to get going, we started our day!
There were numerous dog show rounds judged by celebrities such as Rachel Riley and Pasha Kovalev from Strictly Come Dancing and with classes such as Best Rescue, many of the dogs who entered had survived puppy farming. There were also displays and our personal highlight was the display from Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, as it was very special to see how these skilfully trained dogs can help those with hearing difficulties on a daily basis. For example, how do you know if the timer has rung out to say the oven is ready? Your dog will tell you of course! With nearly 10 million people in the UK experiencing some form of hearing loss, the skills acquired by these special dogs will hopefully help many of them. You can find more information about the charity by visiting their website listed at the end of this blog. They’re even hosting a very special Late Summer Show being held in Buckinghamshire on the 13th September and you should definitely attend if you can!!
We couldn’t fail to mention though, an incredible vision which was delivered in the arena towards the end of the day by the Southern Golden Retriever Display Team! With a carefully choreographed routine along to music by One Republic, the dogs moved with grace and determination with their handlers (and a paw wasn’t put out of place; not from what I could see anyway!) It was a brilliant way of showing why Golden Retrievers are such wonderful dogs; I have been lucky enough to have two in my lifetime (Basil and Lucy) and Basil was in fact my first dog and was where my love affair of dogs originated! The display actually brought a tear to the eyes of both me and my mum (a happy tear I’d like to add!)
FRIENDS OLD AND NEW!!
During the day we bumped into many friends we’ve met over the last few months so we stopped by their exhibitor tents to say hello and give a tail wag!! Given the number of people attending, I’m hopeful many more people were able to hear about the work these charities do and support their efforts. It is events such as PupAid which provides charities with an extra opportunity to reach a wider audience and explain in person all the work they do. Not that my photos necessarily show it, but there seemed to be a steady stream of eager people wanting to know more, which is a wonderful thing to witness. The more support these charities can garner, the more dogs can be helped, something I think we all want to see.
We were also lucky enough to meet new friends, namely the lovely Janetta Harvey, an author who has written two books about puppy farming (with a third coming out next year so watch this space). It was a privilege to meet someone so passionate about helping halt this terrible trade. We also met the beautiful Susie-Belle and Twinkle who are at the heart of Janetta’s books. I haven’t yet read Janetta’s books, but they’re certainly on mine (and hopefully your!) list! Details can be found at the end of this blog.
OVER FOR ANOTHER YEAR
The day (and this post!) wouldn’t be complete without sharing just some of the photos I took of some gorgeous dogs we met during the day, so we’ll end with their beautiful faces (let me know which is your favourite!!) The perfect way to round-up a truly special and thought provoking day!! Before we go though, just remember the campaigns of PupAid which are “Where’s Mum?” and “Adopt don’t Shop” and make sure you take a peek at their website for more information, listed below!
Sarah, Ted & Millie xxx
